


18 Inches

by justanoutlaw



Series: Swanfire Week 2020 [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Teen Pregnancy, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25491217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Emma and Neal ran away when she found out she was expecting. 7 months in, they regret it.
Relationships: Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Emma Swan
Series: Swanfire Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847452
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	18 Inches

  
Emma's feet swell nearly as much as the bump under her uniform. She reeks of grilled onions and spilt cream, a terrible combination. Her blonde curls frizz to the max and she knows she's got bags under eyes.

This wasn't what living on her own was supposed to be like.

She drops next to Neal on the couch, letting out a slight moan. The baby is moving around a lot tonight, making it hard for her to get any respite.

"Come here." Neal pats his black slacks covered legs. "Put your feet here."

"Neal, you've worked all day too."

"So?"

She gives him a grateful smile and kicks off her tennis shoes. She maneuvers herself and manages her feet onto his lap. He starts rubbing, finding the calluses and rubbing them deep.

"How's the little man?" he asks.

"Moving a lot as usual."

"Only two more months."

"Yeah," Emma whispers. "Only two more months."

It seems like just yesterday she got the positive test in the bathroom of Sneezy's pharmacy. She ran to Neal and they made the plan in haste. It's one she regrets.

Emma broke the curse on Storybrooke when she was only 5 years old. She ended up in a new "foster home", no one knowing her foster mom was her biological mother. A kiss to Snow's face woke the town up, including her father in the coma ward. She had a good childhood, filled with love and trying to make up for the past. But there was still that expectation. Not from her parents but the rest of the town. Emma was the savior. She had to be perfect. If she screwed up, it made everyone look bad.

Neal (as he chose to go by when he made it to America) escaped Neverland when Emma was 14 and found his way to town. He was angry at his father but wanted to start over. The two became friends but if blossomed to more when they were 16. A year later, they lost their virginity.

And that one time lead to the ticking time bomb in her stomach.

Neal loved his dad but feared his reaction. He was so particular about everything and their relationship was so fragile. Emma was the town's great white hope. A pregnancy would not bode well with that. Her parents accepted Neal but the town hated that the savior was dating the Dark One's son. A baby from them would only lead to more gossiping.

So, they ran. They used the little money they had to buy bus tickets to Arizona. There, Emma got a job as a waitress. Neal got a fake ID and managed to find both an apartment and a job for himself as a valet. Their place was one room, small and in the back of the building. They worked all day. They had no friends, no support system and definitely nothing for their little guy.

"I got some decent tips today," Neal says. "I think I can get a crib."

"And then what?" Emma asks. Neal looks at her. "Neal, we're 17 and broke."

"We have each other."

"That's not going to provide for this baby."

She looks down at her bump, frowning.

"I think we made a mistake."

"Emma, the town…"

"Fuck the town! I walked away from my parents, my friends, everything! All because I was scared!"

Neal stops rubbing her feet. "It was an adventure."

"We can't keep doing this adventure, not if we have a baby."

Neal bites his lip, staring at her stomach.

"I know you're scared of how your dad will react, I'm scared of what my parents will say," Emma says. "But…it has to be better than this."

"I just…I don't want him to grow up shunned. Like I did."

"He won't, because he'll have two parents to fight for him. And four grandparents." She rubs his arm. "Come on, Neal. I'm sure we'll have crappy jobs in Storybrooke too but having their support will make it worth it."

"And if they turn on us?"

"Then we still have each other."

It takes another month to convince him, but finally Neal agrees to go back to Storybrooke. Their parents are more excited to see them than they are angry about the pregnancy. They're not thrilled, but they promise to help, if the kids promise to stay and they do.

The town talks, but Emma doesn't care anymore. She focuses on her job at the diner while Neal starts the process to become a fireman. They get a small loft near Main Street.

And 3 weeks after they arrive in Storybrooke, Henry is born making everything else obsolete. 7 pounds and 18 inches, he's everything to them. The minute he's placed on Emma's heart, he's inside both of theirs.


End file.
